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mnemosyne5's review
3.0
I have strongly mixed feelings about this book, but I will say that I loved the narrator of the audio book version. He has an excellent voice and sounds very much like a wizard, so I liked him quite a lot.
watsy17's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
blankdjw's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lordbrainless's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.0
sightseerofthestarsea's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ellwarner's review
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
alliecat13's review against another edition
slow-paced
4.5
The ending made me tear up. A slow and dense novel that is truly worth the read.
nyom7's review
2.0
A true disappointment. Generally I enjoy and look forward to reading Eco. This however was, to avoid more vulgar words, pants. It is far from the worst/least enjoyed book I’ve ever read, which is why it has 2 stars and not 1.
Pros:
- It eventually ends.
- You could probably cite it in an essay on a great many topics including Medieval monastic practices, Mediaeval Catholic views on philosophy and religion, and books from the 13th century.
- If you look hard enough there is the whodunnit that is touted in the book’s blurb.
- If you are just liberal with the skimming/flicking and skip out at least 50% of the book you’ll probably actually have an alright read.
Cons:
- I wanted a novel not a dissertation/sermon on “things I know so I’m just going to tell you them all so you know that I know them”. I enjoy the fact that often when reading Eco I’ll find myself going to Google to look things up. This however took it too far.
- There is no pacing. Like zero.
- The characters are generally two dimensional and merely used as ways to force discourse (and I use that word in the loosest possible only marginally tangible definition) on factual topics Eco clearly wished to discuss/show the reader he knows about them and has ‘done the research’.
- The actual whodunnit that is supposed to be the premise of the book is disappointing and all the Sherlockian deductive reasoning that has been attempted to be sprinkled through the chapters was in fact basically a waste of time.
If you have an intense (and I really do mean that word) interest in or desire to learn about a load of minutiae topics that may be related to a Mediaeval monastery then this is the book for you. If however you do not then give this one a wide berth and pick up a different Eco.
Pros:
- It eventually ends.
- You could probably cite it in an essay on a great many topics including Medieval monastic practices, Mediaeval Catholic views on philosophy and religion, and books from the 13th century.
- If you look hard enough there is the whodunnit that is touted in the book’s blurb.
- If you are just liberal with the skimming/flicking and skip out at least 50% of the book you’ll probably actually have an alright read.
Cons:
- I wanted a novel not a dissertation/sermon on “things I know so I’m just going to tell you them all so you know that I know them”. I enjoy the fact that often when reading Eco I’ll find myself going to Google to look things up. This however took it too far.
- There is no pacing. Like zero.
- The characters are generally two dimensional and merely used as ways to force discourse (and I use that word in the loosest possible only marginally tangible definition) on factual topics Eco clearly wished to discuss/show the reader he knows about them and has ‘done the research’.
- The actual whodunnit that is supposed to be the premise of the book is disappointing and all the Sherlockian deductive reasoning that has been attempted to be sprinkled through the chapters was in fact basically a waste of time.
If you have an intense (and I really do mean that word) interest in or desire to learn about a load of minutiae topics that may be related to a Mediaeval monastery then this is the book for you. If however you do not then give this one a wide berth and pick up a different Eco.
the_book_nutt's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A captivating mystery that accurately conveys its historical content and context to the nth degree, ultimately to its detriment. The story throughout remains gripping and the desolate ending ties the thematic and plot threads together in a satisfactory way despite the plot resolution itself being by design unsatisfying.
lillywing's review
I really need to give up on any mystery/detective stories. I'm just not into them. The Wikipedia page plot summary was enough to satisfy my interest in what was happening. I just couldn't get through all the tirades not related to the plot.